Age UK Doncaster announce National Lottery Community Fund boost

The charity will use the funding to launch their new and re-modelled project, ‘Circles - Families of Support’.

The project will help people who feel lonely or socially isolated make new connections in their community which will increase health and wellbeing, encourage independence, and build resilience.

This new National Lottery funding allows Age UK Doncaster to continue supporting older people (50+) in Doncaster to make positive changes in their lives and start doing more of what matters to them.

They aim to create opportunities where new friendships can blossom, old passions or hobbies can be re-discovered, and new interests can be explored. In the past they have supported people to join choirs, craft and art groups, keep active, learn new skills or to simply get out and about and meet new people.

The project is scheduled to launch on Monday, October 3.

Local people can get involved by contacting the Circles team via email at [email protected] or alternatively by calling the helpline on 01302 812345.

National Lottery players raise over £30 million a week for good causes across the UK. The National Lottery Community Fund distributes a share of this to projects to support people and communities to prosper and thrive.

The Circles Project Coordinator, Marie McClay said: “We are delighted to have received further funding from the National Lottery.

"This will make a big difference to people’s lives and means that we are now able to build on what we have learned over the past five years.

"We feel confident that the new project will help even more people in our community.”

During the pandemic, in 2020 alone, The National Lottery Community Fund distributed almost £1 billion to charities and community organisations across the UK.

Paul, a Circles service user, commented on joining their local men's group: “It is great to get out and talk about all different subjects – I have really enjoyed going to the first couple of meetings and I am really glad you asked me to be involved’ …’If this is how good things are at the start of the group I can’t wait to see what will develop.”

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